With the month of August here, we traditionally have many hot sultry days to experience ahead of us. This is in spite of our record breaking sizzling hot July! How are you holding up? Are you staying cool? Are you staying hydrated? How’s your water drinking? (That wet wonderful stuff!)
Drinking water leads to better health. Water is the medium that transports chemical elements to each cell in the body and then carries away the end products that take place in and around each cell. Water is Mother Nature’s magic potion. Plain water contains no calories, artificial colors, or flavors. It’s the perfect drink! It aids digestion, absorption and circulation. It boosts endurance, helps prevent UTI, kidney stones, colds, as well as regulating body temperature. It relieves headaches, lubricates joints, moisturizes skin, curbs appetite and helps the body metabolize stored fat, just to name a few things.
It is recommended that we drink 6-8 glasses of water throughout the day whether you are thirsty or not, with extra drinks of water during work or strenuous activity. It is vitally important to your overall well-being to meet the daily water needs of your body.
Water also helps neutralize the acid found in the mouth after eating a meal.
Today’s American diet is much more acidic than in previous decades. This partially explains the increasing erosion prevalence in the US population. Soft drinks, juices, wine, energy drinks and sports drinks are common staples of the American diet. Most of these have a pH of less than 4.0. The enamel starts to demineralize at a pH level of 5.5.
For many people, the drive for caffeine and energy develops into a habit of drinking soda, coffee, or energy drinks throughout the day. They often sip on the drinks for hours at a time. This ultimately leads to increase decay and also the risk of acid erosion on the teeth.
It is recommended to cut down or replace the constant caffeine and energy habit with regular sips of water. After a meal swishing with water can help neutralize the pH in the mouth to prevent any demineralizing. It is also recommended not to brush your teeth for 30 minutes after a meal. This allows the tooth time to remineralize before the soft enamel is brushed away.
Happy dog days of summer!
- Written by Sue, Registered Dental Hygienist
